Community Development Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Huntington Vision: Huntington Community Development Plan Town of Huntington, Massachusetts Wayne Feiden, AICP, Feiden Associates, Planning and Environmental Consultants www.Feiden.org or [email protected] Huntington Vision: Huntington Community Development Plan, 2003 Town of Huntington, Massachusetts Huntington Vision: Huntington Community Development Plan reflects the consensus of numerous town boards (Select Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board, Conservation Commission, and Open Space Committee) and the dozens of residents who participated in community forums. At our numerous community workshops and board meetings our planning process was open and inclusive and attempted to ensure that all viewpoints were represented. This plan is intended to help guide future planning and policy initiatives. Our Vision and planning, however, is a process, not a onetime effort. We commit to continue to work with our residents to ensure a future we all can embrace. Visioning and Workshop Sessions Format Kick-off Planning Session (3/13/02) Steering Committee* What Should Huntington's Vision Be? (4/3/02) Community workshop Planning Session (5/1/02) Steering Committee* Did we get Huntington's Vision Right? (5/22/02) Community workshop Final Planning Session (5/29/02) Steering Committee* Community Development Plan Kickoff (1/22/03) Steering Committee* Land use and housing (2/26/03) Steering Committee* Economic development and natural resources (3/19/03) Steering Committee* Open Space, resource protection and housing (5/20/03) Community workshop Natural resources, housing, economic development, transportation Community workshop (6/24/03) CD Plan--Working meeting (9/24/03) Planning & Selectmen CD Plan--Working meeting (10/22/03) Steering Committee* Transportation Final Workshop (10/30/03) Community Workshop *Steering Committee members participated during Planning Board and Select Board meetings. This plan was developed using funds provided pursuant to Massachusetts Executive Order 418. All of the conclusions, however, are those of the Town of Huntington and its consultants Wayne Feiden, AICP, Feiden Associates, Planning and Environmental Consultants www.Feiden.org or [email protected] Huntington Vision: Community Development Plan Page 2 Feiden Associates Huntington Vision: Huntington Community Development Plan Huntington Community Development Steering Committee Al LaFrance, Select Board Chair Tracey Kellam-Masloski, Select Board Jim Watkins, Select Board Cathy Brisebois, Select Board (retired 2003) Steve Hamlin, Planning Board Chair & Jacob’s Ladder Trail Mike Brisebois, Planning Board Ed Grabowski, Planning Board & Open Space Linda Hamlin, Planning Board & Jacob’s Ladder Trail Palma Luppi, Planning Board Earl Health, Planning Board George Webb, Zoning Board Chair Ellen Davis, Zoning Board Richard Newberry, Zoning Board Immediate Past Chair Lou Bryda, Zoning Board Ruth Pardoe, Open Space Com. Chair Jeff Penn, Open Space Committee & Jacob’s Ladder Trail Cathy Grabowski, Conservation Com. Miriam Watkins, Conservation Com. & Open Space Committee Dianna Sliwa, Administrative Assistant Marilyn Newberry, Community Development Plan Liaison Consultants Wayne Feiden, AICP, Feiden Associates, Planning and Environmental Consultants Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (Transportation Element) Cover photos Jeff Penn Funding (provided pursuant to Massachusetts Executive Order 418 process) Executive Order 418 Interagency Work Group (project and funding coordination) Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Construction Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Massachusetts Department of Economic Development Regional Planning Agency Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC)—Coordination of EO418 Scope and Product through EO 418 Interagency Work Group, Project Review, and Transportation Element Huntington Vision: Community Development Plan Page 3 Feiden Associates Huntington Vision: Huntington Community Development Plan Table of Contents Huntington Vision .......................................................................................................................5 Executive Summary and Action Plan--Putting it all Together ................................................7 Community Development Plan Implementation Strategy ......................................................7 Open Space and Resource Protection....................................................................................11 Open Space and Resource Protection....................................................................................12 Goals and Objectives...........................................................................................................12 Future Planning Needs ........................................................................................................14 Huntington Build-Out Analysis .............................................................................................15 Huntington Zoning by-laws ..................................................................................................18 Huntington Subdivision Rules and Regulations...................................................................19 Huntington General By-Laws...............................................................................................20 Water Budget Analysis (waiver granted).............................................................................20 Water Quality Analysis (waiver granted)..............................................................................21 Open Space, Scenic, Cultural, Historic and Archeological Resources ................................21 Housing......................................................................................................................................24 Goals and Objectives...........................................................................................................24 Housing Inventory and Demographics.................................................................................26 Housing Needs Report.........................................................................................................29 Homeownership Rate ..........................................................................................................30 Housing Supply and Demand Comparison..........................................................................30 Goals and Objectives...........................................................................................................33 Investment/Grant Actions.....................................................................................................34 Transportation Actions.........................................................................................................35 Current and Future Economic Inventory ..............................................................................35 Journey to Work Summary ..................................................................................................38 Huntington Tax Base and Finances.....................................................................................38 Transportation: Route 112 and 20 Corridor Study ................................................................40 APPENDIX—Community Input from Visioning Workshops..................................................41 Huntington Vision: Community Development Plan Page 4 Feiden Associates Huntington Vision We, the residents of Huntington, envision preserving the rural way of life, accepting growth as it happens but channeling that growth to preserve our rural character. Our future must preserve our rural character, natural and built environment, scenic vistas, hillsides, rivers, and historic quality. New development is inevitable; even though many of us might wish that it not be so. We share a positive vision, however, of accommodating growth consistent with the character of our community. We must ensure that future development can meet a simple charge: development must enhance our community and not detract from it. New development should fit into, rather than displace, nature. It must be thoughtfully laid out, designed, and built. We seek not “cookie-cutter” development but a “design-with-nature” approach. Quality development that enhances our community will be welcome. We do not embrace large-scale development. We can, however, embrace projects and housing that preserve distant and close vistas. Development can blend, not necessarily hide, housing into the woods and not in our fields or on our ridges. Development can create structures with well- designed proportions and detailing that enhances the architectural integrity of our community. We can do this without driving up the cost of housing. Even as we direct new development towards appropriate growth, we need to take measures to revitalize housing, especially in our historic village areas, downtown and Norwich Hill. Revitalization will enhance our community and our economy, and preserve some of our best and most affordable housing stock. We need to maintain the ability of our residents and our children to afford to stay here. We believe, that in our community, it is generally more effective to preserve existing affordability, from rental housing in and near downtown to inexpensive housing throughout our community, than to sponsor subsidized affordable housing projects. We are not afraid of increasing the diversity in our community, including